Quarterbacks' success gone with wind

Notebook

{} { John Crumpacker}

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, August 12, 2007

Blustery conditions Saturday afternoon in Santa Clara caused passes to sail all over the practice field as the 49ers put in their last full day of preparation for Monday night's preseason opener against Denver.

In fact, it might have been the worst passing day by the quartet of quarterbacks since the 49ers opened training camp July 29. No one was spared the wind, but it was particularly hard on the third and fourth guys,

Trent Dilferwas immune from the wind as neither quarterback had a stellar afternoon throwing. Given Candlestick's notorious conditions, Saturday's wind served as a good preparation for Monday's game.

Tough call: Nolan said he considered having his players attend Friday's public service for

Bill Walshat Candlestick but thought better of it. He spoke to a number of people close to Walsh and was convinced that had Walsh the coach been in a similar situation, he would have had his players at practice.

Thus, the 49ers practiced Friday in Santa Clara while people celebrated Walsh's life at Candlestick.

"I thought long and hard about it," Nolan said. "The celebration of Bill's life was about Bill and the people he did it with. Our players weren't a part of that."

Nolan seemed pleased that a number of players watched Thursday's private service for Walsh on television.

"It was a great service," he said. "A lot of our players watched it on TV. They caught it on NFL Network. They wanted to watch it."

Tarell Brownleft practice Saturday with a sore knee but will play Monday. Brown is trying to learn from the man he is backing up, 12-year veteran

Walt Harris. "I'm learning how to take care of your body, how to treat yourself as a professional, getting here early, making sure you're stretched. The little things that make great players," Brown said.

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